The most pecan-iest recipe of all!

March 9, 2016 9:39 AM

A friend gave me a pile of beautiful pecans. She can't stand long enough to cook or bake, so I'd love to make something for her with them. I want something that truly glorifies the pecans. I have about four cups. What would you recommend? I'd consider myself an intermediate-level baker/candy maker/cook.
posted by linettasky to Food & Drink (16 answers total)

There's always a classic Southern bourbon pecan pie. Yes, please.
posted by dinnerdance at 9:53 AM on March 9, 2016 [9 favorites]

These Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts are not at all difficult, but they are unbelievably delicious. I always bump the salt up a little for some salty/sweet contrast. They never stay around long because a) we eat them, and b) near strangers will demand that I bring them to whatever social gathering we might be attending because they are so damn amazing.
posted by Diagonalize at 10:03 AM on March 9, 2016 [7 favorites]

How about the Mystery Pecan Pie? The layers magically rearrange themselves in the cooking. It only calls for 1 1/4 cups of pecans, so you'll have plenty left over for more pecan goodness.
posted by carrioncomfort at 10:06 AM on March 9, 2016 [6 favorites]

Once again, my mom's cheese cookies to the rescue!
posted by trip and a half at 10:13 AM on March 9, 2016

Pecanbutter cookies!!
posted by ridgerunner at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2016

I actually appreciate good pecans most in a recipe where they are the accompaniment, not the star. My favorite use of good pecans is in this very old banana nut bread recipe from my great aunt by way of my mother. (I'm not a raisin fan, so I always skip the raisins.) Every time I make it, someone asks me for the recipe. It's a real winner.
posted by ocherdraco at 10:31 AM on March 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Pecan pie, with a pecan based crust. I use Bittman's pecan pie recipe, but my crust recipe is kosher for Passover (you can substitute flour for the matzoh cake meal if it doesn't need to be kosher):

Ingredients
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and cooled
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup matzo cake meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Add touch of cinnamon

Preparation
-Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.
-Pulse pecans, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
-Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter until combined well.
-Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan.
-Bake until crust is firm and a shade darker, 12 to 15 minutes.
-Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.
posted by postel's law at 10:33 AM on March 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

I made this America's Test Kitchen granola recipe the other day, substituting half the almonds for pecans. The roasted pecans made it better than I could imagine it would be. Recipe calls for 2 cups of nuts and makes around 9 cups of granola, so feel free to scale it according to what you have left after making some of the deliciousness in prior comments. (and, I presume, following comments).
posted by Sunburnt at 10:46 AM on March 9, 2016

Pralines! The ultimate southern delicacy, and all-around answer to the question "how much brown sugar can you dissolve in a combination of butter and cream?" They're a little finicky, but as long as you don't get the temperature too high, I don't think you'll have any problems if you've done any candy-making before.
posted by Mayor West at 11:25 AM on March 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

These pecan tassies from Martha Stewart have become one of my go-to favourites. They're especially rich and wonderful when made with mascarpone rather than cream cheese (although I've use that as well). I also tend to put in a bit more maple syrup than the recipe suggests.
posted by sardonyx at 11:30 AM on March 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

These America's Test Kitchen Pecan Bars are fabulous.
posted by in the methow at 11:40 AM on March 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

King Arthur Flour's Pecan Pie Shortbread Bars are quite tasty.
posted by mogget at 12:42 PM on March 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you have an ice cream maker: David Lebowitz's butter pecan is one of the best ice cream recipes I have ever used--and I've used many. It's the inclusion of Scotch that makes it.
posted by duffell at 12:45 PM on March 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

chocolate turtles!
1) foil, then lightly oil a baking sheet
2) arrange pecans in groups of 6 or so, 2 for the body, 4 for the legs, 1 for the head
3) melt caramels and pour over body to hold the pecans together. cool.
4) melt milk chocolate and pour over caramel
optional: drizzle with dark chocolate.
posted by sexyrobot at 5:16 PM on March 9, 2016

This is one of my most popular recipes:

Butter Pecan Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. flour
1 c. pecans (toasted, chopped)
1/4 c. sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350°. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour. Add pecans. Form 12 flattened discs. Dip each one in the sugar-salt mixture, coating both sides. Bake for 15 minutes and cool on racks.
posted by aws17576 at 9:16 PM on March 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

New Orleans Coleslaw. See pralines.
posted by BWA at 4:43 PM on March 10, 2016